Dune Awakening update makes Deep Desert changes to remove PvP requirements

A new Dune Awakening update today tackles one of the survival game's most common endgame frustrations. The new MMO has proved tremendously popular, opening up its incarnation of Arrakis to a huge number of players, but its endgame shift in direction has left some underwhelmed. While most of the core progression is PvE and doesn't require you to clash with your fellow adventurers, the endgame demands you head into the Deep Desert, consequently forcing you into Dune Awakening PvP. However, that's no longer the case, as Dune Awakening patch 1.1.0.17 delivers sweeping Deep Desert changes.

Today's Dune Awakening patch notes follow on from Funcom creative director Joel Bylos's recent developer update addressing PvP frustrations. As one of the best survival games in 2025, there's a wide range of player tastes, and not everyone is interested in fighting other people. It changes the entire southern half of the Deep Desert map into a PvE zone, meaning that if you're not interested in confrontation, you can safely scour for the resources you need without finding yourself on the wrong end of some extremely competitive types.

This change includes points of interest such as Imperial Testing Stations, caves, and so on, although Funcom notes that control points and shipwrecks in that region will still have PvP enabled, much like the ones in Hagga Basin. In order to keep the feeling of 'risk vs reward,' you'll find a higher density of resources the further north you travel across the Deep Desert, with the largest spice fields and a majority of the control points present in the northern sections where PvP is active.

Conversely, the southern half now offers loot that is balanced towards PvE activities, and each player gets their own drops with an expectation of one schematic for everyone. In the PvP zone, you'll find between two and six schematics available on a first come, first served basis, and they're more likely to be the rarest variants. If you're after large quantities of Titanium or Stravidium, or any amount of Plasteel plates, you'll want to strap up and make an excursion into the PvP zones.

Likewise, there are some Imperial Testing Stations still present in the PvP half of the map, meaning that if you're eager to grab all available schematics in a given week you'll want to travel across the full region. Funcom notes that, because loot rotates between the stations weekly, anyone who is adamant about avoiding PvP can get their hands on the missing schematics at a later date, or alternatively obtain it through trading or the Exchange.

The patch also makes some early changes to Ornithopters. Equipping a rocket launcher module will now decrease the top speed of Scout Ornithopters by 20%, and that of Assault Ornithopters by 10%. Additionally, they'll now drop straight down if you exit them in mid-air or disconnect from the Dune Awakening servers, lowering the chance that your precious vehicle glides away, never to be seen again.

Dune Awakening update 1.1.0.17 is out now, Thursday June 26. You can read through the full patch notes courtesy of Funcom for further bug fixes and tweaks, such as the new ability to report players via their text chat messages or by inspecting them in game.

Once you've got the materials you need, study our Dune Awakening base building guide to optimize your home, and check in on the current status of Dune Awakening mods.

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